Though We Walk Through the Valley
by If Wishes Were Blue Skies
Summary: Set shortly ater the movie.:. Victor must cope with the fact that the path he had chosen once before may have been the worst one. And now he can only hope that he will be allowed to fix the mistake he made that night in the chapel.
1. better off left at the door

**A/N:** hey there! I've returned with another Corpse Bride ficcie, and tis a chaptered one. This first one's kinda short, but since it's a starter to see if everyone wants me to continue, I guess it's okay.

I have to say, I wasn't going to post this here at first. But upon seeing that I got ten reviews on my last one-shot, I was overjoyed, and inspired to post it here. Knowing you guys enjoyed my last fic made me happy .

I, of course, have seen the movie since my last story (four times, actually XD), so I think this one will be lots better. I'm still a strong Victor/Emily fan, even after seeing the movie. I was sad with the ending, but I do admit Victor/Victoria has it's cuteness, even though I really don't care for it much. I won't hate anyone who does like it though, don't get me wrong. I just think Victor/Emily was a lot more bittersweet. Thus was my inspiration to start this story.

Anyway, enough with my drabble. Please let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** Tim Burton owns Corpse Bride and all of it's characters. Not me.

_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

_Chapter 1 – "Some Things are Better Off Left at the Door"_

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A sigh softly sounded from Victor's mouth, and he watched as it misted into the cold December air. Shivering a bit, he pulled his coat closer and folded his arms together.

He leaned his back against the stone wall of the bridge, the whole town now in his view. Looking past the bell tower, he turned his gaze to a vast house with a dark red roof – his and Victoria's home.

Victor sighed again, something he'd been doing a lot lately. For about a month, to be precise.

…Just about as long as he'd been married to Victoria.

Just a day after the scene at the chapel, Victor and Victoria had been married, but had only been permitted to do so because her parents had become desperate for a wealthy groom to wed to their daughter. And though Victor didn't care for the reason their marriage had been allowed, he hadn't been as happy as he thought he would be. He had of course been elated beyond belief at first, but there was a little void inside of him that hadn't been filled. As time went on, Victor tried to ignore it, but he felt it becoming larger and more desperate to be filled.

He spent a lot of time on his own now, trying to think, which was why he was now on the bridge by himself. It was his favorite place to be especially since no one was ever there. However, the last time he had gone there to think, he wished he hadn't. The bridge went over the river that divided the town from the church and the forest. And upon looking at the forest that one night, Victor found the reason for his feeling of incompletion.

It was Emily. The infamous Corpse Bride of the Land of the Dead, Emily.

When he had finally come to that realization, Victor had felt so ashamed that he distanced himself from everyone – especially Victoria – for a good couple of days. He was rarely home, out walking around town, and only did go home for sleep. If he ate at all, it would be little tidbits from random dime stores he walked past. Beyond feeling ashamed at the truth, he felt embarrassed, guilty, foolish… he could've gone on and on with the list, and all for different reasons.

Though Victor had eventually come back into normal contact with everyone else, he still remained the tiniest distant from Victoria. Of course, she had tried to talk with him countless times, but he told her each time that nothing was bothering him. He knew she knew he was lying, and it made him feel immensely guilty every time she had the look on her face that told him so. And every time she looked rejected, or put down because he pulled away from an embrace, or conversation, made it even worse. Sometimes he would even get annoyed at her questioning all of the time, even though she was his wife, and it was expected for her to worry about him.

Wife…

Victor chuckled at himself. How dare he call Victoria his wife? Though she technically and lawfully was, he knew he had no right to. He had realized and admitted to himself that the reason he wasn't entirely happy with his life with Victoria… was because of another woman.

Victor ran a hand over his eyes and down his face, distress beginning to wash over him. He was unable to think of a solution. He knew leaving his current life behind was so much out of the question that he stopped thinking about it quicker than it came to him. Though the option had surfaced more times than Victor cared for. But he knew he couldn't stand the burden carrying over him forever, nor could he avoid Victoria forever.

Sighing for the umpteenth time that evening, Victor gave himself a light push from the wall and stood straight up. With one last look at the forest yards behind him, he turned and made his way off of the bridge and back into the little town.

Sparkling white snow crunched beneath his tiny feet, and Victor enjoyed listening to it, along with the barely-audible sounds of the wide through the trees in the forest.

He smiled, allowing himself a rare, carefree moment of serenity. He continued walking toward the town.

His smile vanished though, as a sharp 'click' sounded in his ears instead of the gentle 'crunch'. Cringing, Victor opened his eyes and noticed he was now on the cobblestone road that went through town. They always shoveled the snow, only up to the entry gates. He was back in reality once he passed through those gates. He didn't like it. He wanted to turn around and go back to the bridge, but it was already late, and he knew he had to get home before Victoria became even more concerned for him than she already was.

It wasn't that long of a walk back to his home, since the town itself wasn't that big in the first place. All of the buildings were crammed together, which was another thing about the place that reminded Victor that there was hardly any freedom there. Completely opposite of the Land of the Dead…

Victor shook his head. He was now standing in front of his house, and this was usually where he paused. Every night he went out for a walk to think, he would always stop before entering into the house once more, making sure everything he had thought about whilst on his own left him before going back in. He had to pay no mind whatsoever to his wishes, longings, or thoughts that went against the life he had inside of that house. It was just something he knew he had to do.

Once a few moments had passed, Victor straightened his coat and opened the mahogany double doors reluctantly.

"I'm… home." He called out.


	2. how things go

**A/N:** This came out quicker than IU thought it would. But then, because of that, it's another short chapter. I'm sorry! Lately, my creativeness has just been blah, so… yeah. I promise I'll try to get a longer chapter in next time.

Oh, and thanks to everyone for the reviews! Much much much appreciated! You guys are great .

**Disclaimer:** see chapter one.

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_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

_Chapter Two – "How Things Go"_

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Victor closed the door behind him and put his jacket on the coat hanger. The entire house was silent, as it always was. Very little noise ever went on within those walls. The loudest thing to ever sound through the house was probably Victor's piano.

He sighed.

He began walking toward the large staircase at the end of the hall, but stopped when he noticed a soft glow of light emitting from the parlor. As he proceeded toward the room, he began to hear soft crackling sounds.

Someone had a fire going.

Curious, Victor entered the vast room, light dancing and flickering upon the walls and furniture, popping noises sounding from the fireplace. It created an abnormally cozy feeling to the room. Usually it, and the rest of the house, always seemed to bleak and cold.

Victor continued through the room, looking in all directions for any sign of someone else, but there was no one there.

"Odd…" he whispered to himself. Shrugging, he moved closer to the fireplace to put it out before heading upstairs to bed. Upon walking past one of the armchairs however, he could now see a figure sitting in it.

Victoria sat with her head tilted to the side, hands limply holding onto a quilt she had been knitting, mouth slightly open, and eyes closed.

It didn't take Victor long to realize she had fallen asleep waiting for him to return home.

As quietly as he could, Victor removed the needle and thread from her small hands, followed by the quilt, and placed them in the other armchair. And as gently as he could so as not to disturb her slumber, Victor slid one arm under her knees, another across her back, and lifted her from the chair. He stood still for a moment to make sure she was still asleep, then slowly turned around and took a few steps over to the loveseat. With the utmost care, Victor laid her down onto the dark red cushions.

Victor stood for a moment, looking down at her. He smiled sadly and kneeled down next to the sofa. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and softly ran a single finger down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Victoria," he whispered. "I'm sorry for making you worry about me like this. You should be angry with me for coming home this late, never telling you where I'm going, what I'm doing, distancing myself from you… but instead, you just worry. You're a truly wonderful person, Victoria." He pushed a stray hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"You deserve someone much better than me. You shouldn't have a husband… who has second thoughts a month after his wedding."

He then leaned down and very lightly pressed his lips against her forehead. Victor knew he did love Victoria, and probably always would. He just knew he had no right feeling that way about her, when he felt the same way for another.

Pushing himself up from the floor, Victor noticed a blue blanket folded upon the armchair Victoria had fallen asleep in. Walking over to pick it up, he lifted it from the chair and looked at for a few moments.

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"No peeking now, Victor!" Victoria giggled as she lead him by the hand into the parlor. Chuckling, Victor kept his eyes shut and replied, "I won't."

_Smiling excitedly, Victoria opened the glass doors to the room, and walked her husband into the very center of the room. Letting go of his hands, she said to him, "Don't look yet!" He smiled and nodded._

_Listening intently, Victor heard what sounded like heavy cloth being flailed about. After a few seconds, it was silent within the room. He then felt a hand grab hold of his own and heard from right beside him, _

_"Okay. You can look now."_

_Opening his eyes, Victor gasped at the view that met his gaze. Laid out upon the carpeted floor was the most… beautiful quilt he had ever seen. _

_Dressed in all shades of blue from nearly white, to nearly black, knitted into the pattern was a large moon that took up most of the quilt. And around the moon were cerulean butterflies, all fluttering across the material. _

_"Oh…" Victor awed. He was nearly speechless at the amazing piece of work. She must have spent hours working to finish it!_

_"Oh, Victoria… it's… amazing. Beautiful." He breathed, still unable to tear his eyes away from it. He felt his wife's hand tighten around his. Smiling warmly, she said to him, "I'm giving it to you."_

_Victor's head snapped to her, his eyes wide. "Victoria… oh, thank you!" He pulled her to him, hugging her. "I adore it! I'll treasure it always! In fact…" _

_He pulled away from the hug and rushed excitedly over to the quilt, and picked it up from the floor. He then walked to the loveseat, and sat himself down. Looking to Victoria, he reached out an arm toward her, beckoning her over. Smiling, she took his hand in hers, and sat down beside him. He wrapped the quilt around himself, then around her shoulders. _

_"It'll be ours," he stated affectionately. _

_Victoria's smile widened. "Oh, Victor…" she breathed, resting her head upon his shoulder. She pulled the blanket closer to her and laced her free hand with his. Victor laid his head against hers._

_They fell asleep like that._

_---_

Victor ran a hand along the soft material in his hands, smiling wistfully. That hadn't happened long ago at all, but… things had changed so drastically since then, that it seemed as if it had been years ago.

Holding onto the corners, Victor let go of the rest of the quilt, letting it unfold freely. He then carried it back over to Victoria's sleeping form and covered her with it. He carefully tucked it comfortable around her so that it wouldn't fall of at any point in the night.

She mumbled softly in her sleep as he finished tucking her in.


	3. How to Let Go

**A/N:** Sorry so much for taking so long with this chapter! The school week is literal murder, but I manage to work on bits and pieces of chapters during free time in class and when I'm home. Plus, I wanted to make this one longer than the past two chapters.

So yeah, hope you guys enjoy! . and thanks SO SO MUCH for all of the lovely reviews so far. You guys are geat!

**Disclaimer:** see chapter one.

_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

_Chapter 3 – "How to Let Go"_

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Victoria shivered under the quilt. Opening her eyes from her slumber, darkness surrounded her, and she could barely see anything. The fire had died down to softly glowing embers, leaving the room cold and dark. The main light source at that time was the full moon shining in through the windows, and once her eyes got used to the scarce lighting, she could finally see what was around her.

At first, upon seeing where she was, she was confused on why she had been sleeping in the parlor, but it came back to her quickly. She had fallen asleep while waiting for Victor return home. But then, hadn't she been sitting in the armchair? How did she get to lying down on the loveseat?

Victoria shifted, and in doing so, her arm came across her lap and rested upon the material that she had been covered with. Looking down at it for a moment, she realized what it was, as well as how she had gotten from the armchair to the sofa.

The young woman sighed sadly, running her fingers across the fabric. The day she had given him that quilt, Victor was the same shy, quirky Victor she had come to love so much. The two of them had been so happy…

She had made the quilt especially for him, because she knew… he would want something that would faintly remind him of Emily.

Sighing again, Victoria recalled the night when Victor had told her the story of the mysterious Corpse Bride. It had been the night after their wedding when Victoria asked to know exactly what had happened. Victor had at first been reluctant in saying anything on the subject, but after he got started with the story, it all came flowing out of him. Victoria could tell he had wanted to talk to someone about the whole thing.

Needless to say, she had been very dumbfounded at the story. Everything in it seemed like it was out of a storybook, but… it all happened. Victoria had even witnessed quite a but of it herself at the chapel, but there had still been so much more that had happened over the course of that one day.

Though she hadn't asked, Victoria couldn't help but wonder how Victor really felt about all that happened. Was he relieved it was over, or did he miss it at all? From what he had told in the story, he had been very frightened at first, desperately wanting to get away, but as the story went on, he seemed to become more comfortable with the goings-on of the "Land of the Dead" (as Victor had called it). And that brought Victoria to one of her private worries. One she would never share with anyone else.

Emily… The dead woman Victor had been… married to. Upon seeing her for the first time up in her old bedroom, Victoria was sure Victor had had no choice in the matrimony, thus she had been determined to find him and save him. But then came the time when she had watched the two of them nearly get married once again, and though she couldn't see Victor's face, she didn't detect the slightest bit of fear, regret, sadness… or anything of that sort in his voice as he performed his vows. He had even encouraged Emily on, and finished the vow for her when she couldn't, after she noticed me standing there. And when he asked her what was wrong as she stopped him from drinking from the wine glass, his voice… oh his voice had been filled with worry. It pained Victoria to think about it, she had tried and tried to think of a rational explanation for Victor's behavior toward Emily that night, but could think of nothing.

And she feared she wasn't the only one constantly thinking back to that night… constantly wondering why he hadn't been scared, or sad about getting married to Emily. Constantly thinking that maybe Emily… was the reason behind the distance Victor had placed between him and Victoria.

Looking down at the quilt once more, Victor put her hands over her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

At breakfast that morning, all was quiet, save for the soft clinking of silverware against china. Only Victor and Victoria sat at either end of the table, far away from one another… and in more ways than one.

Victor stirred his porridge nervously, wondering why Victoria was being so quiet. She usually tried to start conversations when things fell silent between them. But today, she merely sipped at her tea daintily and said not a word.

Continuing to idly stir his breakfast around in the bowl, Victor decided he wasn't going to be able to eat anything.

"Excuse me," he murmured just loud enough for Victoria to hear, and moved to get up from his seat.

"Wait—." Victoria sounded.

Looking up at Victoria, she had a sudden look of desperation on her face. Victor gave her a questioning look, but obliged and sat back down.

Victoria fidgeted with the napkin in her lap, unsure of what to say. She'd wanted to have a proper conversation with him… about the current circumstances between the two of them. Especially since last night… but now that she had his attention, she didn't know what to say.

Biting her bottom lip, she managed out, "I… Victor, I wanted… I wanted to…" She looked away from him, embarrassed. How stupid he must've thought she was, bumbling like an idiot. But she now knew what she wanted to say, but how could she possibly say it to him?

Gazing upward back to her husband, she saw he was looking at her in utter confusion, but she could now see concern in his eyes as well. This gave her the encouragement she needed. She was now reminded that no matter how Victor's feeling for her… changed, he would still be the same kind and understanding man he always was. She took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"Victor, I wanted to talk…" Victoria noticed him flinch ever so slightly at the word 'talk.'

"… about… Emily."

Victor's eyes widened dramatically, and a look of fear washed over his face. Victoria smiled sadly and glanced down at her hands, then back up to Victor again. Timidly she spoke to him, "Victor… is she the reason for you becoming so distant from me?"

The fearful look on his face maximized tenfold, and a look of guilt now accompanied it. And with one look of distress, Victor buried his face in his hands. Victoria then began to hear the soft patter of droplets falling onto the wooden table.

Victor was crying!

Suddenly horrified with herself, Victoria shot out of her seat and over to her distraught husband. Kneeling down next to him, she placed a small hand on his arm. All was silent except for his tears hitting the wood – he wasn't even sobbing. Panicked, Victoria hurriedly said, "Oh Victor, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you—,"

Victor looked up at her from his hands with such horror in his eyes, her talking ceased immediately. "Victoria…" he breathed, small tears continuing to fall from his large eyes. "No, no, no, Victoria. You have _no _reason to apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing to you."

Tenderly, he took her hand that ad been resting on his arm and held it with both of his.

"My dear Victoria… I'm so… I'm so sorry for putting you through all of this pain. I know it must be torturous for you to watch me you so horribly. I…" Victor paused for a moment before finally saying,

"I don't deserve you love at all, Victoria. Not when… not when I wish… for someone else's."

Victoria was shocked. She had no idea Victor had been beating himself up over this so much.

Hoisting herself up form the floor just a bit, Victoria reached her arms out to Victor. She wrapped them around his neck and pulled him to her. She closed her eyes, feeling tears beginning to form, knowing this would be the last time she would ever hold him in her arms.

"Victor…" she began softly. "I love you."

She felt Victor tense at her words. Still though, she continued.

"You'll probably be the only man I'll ever love. Which is why I would never be upset with you about… about your feelings. Love is something us humans have no control over. You can't help whom you fall in love with, and I would never blame you or that. And this is why…"

A lone tear cascaded down her cheek, and she hugged him ever closer. With a deep breath, she whispered the last of her sentence into his ear,

"I have to let you go, Victor… so you can go to her."


	4. fear

**A/N:** well, not much to say in this note, 'cept for a GREAT BIG thank you for all the reviews you guys are submitting! seriously, you guys are what give me a lot of the inspiration I need to be working on this story all of the time. me luffs all of you .

**Disclaimer:** See chapter one.

_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

Chapter 4 - "Fear."

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"Victoria!" Victor gasped. He grabbed her shoulders and gently pulled her away from him so he could see her face. Her eyes were glazed over with tears, and filled with sadness and understanding. Yet she was smiling… ever so sweetly.

Victor frowned, suddenly feeling helpless. His wife who loved him more than anything had just… made it clear that he was free. She was going to let go of him so that he could go… to Emily.

"No," he stated sternly. "I will not be as selfish as to leave you behind due to my own foolishness."

Victoria continued to smile. Raising a hand to his cheek she said to him, "Victor, darling, it would be more foolish…" she paused to choke back a sob. A single tear however, managed to escape her eyes, and she brushed it away, frustrated with herself for it. "It would be more foolish for you to remain here."

Victor stared her, unable to speak, or move… or anything.

"I want you to be happy, Victor," Victoria spoke again. "That is my only wish. And if that means you being with someone else, then so be it. It… it would not be selfish for you to do this for me, as well as yourself."

The dark haired young man sat dumbfounded. "Victoria, I…" He trailed off, not even knowing what it was he wanted to say. He… couldn't just leave everything behind. Yet… something inside of him was screaming at him to take the opportunity. The realization of his remaining feelings for Emily had left him miserable in this world, and now that Victoria knew of his feelings as well, it would also be hard on her if he stayed. But…

"What about your parents?" Victor asked. He could've smacked himself for coming up with such a stupid excuse for staying there. "And mine? What in the world could we possibly tell them? They would never accept –,"

"Don't worry about them, Victor, I'll take care of them. You needn't worry about anything." Her smile remained, though it was becoming more and more difficult to hold it there. She tried desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, since showing tears would only upset Victor even more so than he already was.

"So… will you go?" Victoria inquired, half frightened of what his answer might be. The expression on his face at this point was unreadable.

"I…" Frustrated at his lack for nerve, Victor glanced down for a moment, took a single deep breath, then looked Victoria straight in the eyes.

"I will."

He smiled.

She already was.

As Victor walked across the bridge, the town behind him was just beginning its day. He tried not o pay attention to the noise that emitted from it, but more to the soft, almost comforting, sound of his feet crunching upon to the new blanket of snow.

His goodbye to Victoria had been bittersweet… though more bitter than sweet. A few tears were shed from both of them, along with one last embrace. Victor knew he was upset about leaving Victoria, and he wished beyond belief that he would still be able to see her. But he knew that could never be… once he was in the Land of the Dead, he could only make very seldom trips back up here. If only the circumstances could've been just a little bit more normal… he could at least remain friends with Victoria. She was truly an extraordinary woman, just about the only person in town that Victor could relate to. Everyone else was just so dull; following the same schedule each and every day, perfection being the top priority. Victoria had been the only one who loved color, and appreciated other things such as art, and nature.

Victor sighed. He knew he would miss her terribly… but that was just one of a few things he was sacrificing by going through with this. He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts from his head, for he now had to worry about other things.

He didn't know where to go.

The last times Victor has been transported to the Land of the Dead, it had been with the help of Emily – someone who was already dead. So probably the only way down there from the Land of the Living was to be accompanied by someone who already resided there. And then the obvious way to get there would be to die.

Victor gulped, his usual timid self surfacing. He didn't want to die… not yet, at least. What if he took the chance of actually going through with killing himself, and things didn't go as planned? What if Emily wouldn't accept him, or she wasn't even there? When she had disappeared in the mass of butterflies that night at the chapel, it had left him befuddled. She had told him that he set her free… did that mean she had gone past the Land of the Dead and into heaven? Had she only been there in the first place due to the unfinished business of her murder?

Victor shook his head again – that couldn't be right. Mayhew had appeared down there upon his death, and he had had no unfinished business. So then there was no heaven or hell… just a Land of the Dead, where Emily should be.

She _had _to be.

But what if she wasn't…

Victor didn't want to think about it.

At this point, Victor had made it to the start of the forest. He stopped, still unsure of what to do next.

Maybe he could hold the fact of him having been there before to his advantage. He didn't know much about how they did things down there, but he did know it was possible for them to go between worlds. And even transport a living person down there. So maybe if he could just somehow get a hold of someone down there…

Victor knew he didn't want to make contact with Emily, not yet. He wasn't so sure he was ready to see her at all. It _had_ just been last night after all, when he told himself going to look for her was out of the question.

But then who else was there? He hadn't really spoken to anyone else during that day…

_Ah!_ "Elder Gutknecht!" Victor stated happily, glad for having remembered the old skeleton.

Now that he had someone from the Land of the Dead he could try and contact, Victor made his way into the trees. He figured his best bet on getting a hold of the skeleton would be at the place him and Emily had ended up upon being sent in this world. That one beautiful clearing in the middle of the forest, where the moon had shone so magnificently that night…

That had probably been when Victor first realized just how beautiful Emily was, as she had gracefully danced upon the glittering snow. And even at the time, when he had been desperate to get back to town, and back to Victoria… he had nearly been impelled to pull her in his arms and join in on the dance. But instead, he let his fear overtake him. Looking back on it now, he knew he had been such a cowardice fool. Maybe if he would've come to his senses so much sooner, and not run away from her, things would've ended differently.

He wouldn't let his fear of the irrational lead him astray this time.


	5. knowledge of the pain

**A/N: **Me has returned! I wanted to have this up the other night, but I didn't have time. And this is another short chapter, I'm sorry to say. This is the last nine weeks here at school, so turning in last minute projects n' stuff has been my top priority as of late. By this tuesday though, I should be pretty free once again to get on track with this story. Anyway, on with chappie five:D

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

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_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

Chapter Five - "Knowledge of the Pain"

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Victor was glad that it was still early morning now that he was making his way through the trees. Even though the moonlight was beautiful, the light from the sun made the forest a lot less creepy, and probably much easier to navigate through. He wasn't even sure where exactly that particular spot was, but he knew it wasn't far in at all, because he remembered being able to see the town from it. All he had to go by was that it had been quite a large clearing; there had been a tree stump, and a root sticking far out of the ground, the one Emily had tripped on.

Victor suppressed a giggle at the memory, but a small smile played upon his face for the first time in weeks. It felt nice to smile again, he thought.

Continuing on through the woods, the sounds from the town had finally become inaudible, which Victor was thankful for. As long as he could help it, he would never have anything to do with that town ever again. Sure, the place had seemed all well and good while growing up there, and for most of Victor's life. But now he knew that had only been because he didn't know it was any better anywhere else. So upon visiting the Land of the Dead, it was almost like he had found his other half. He had always loved colorful things, art, music – things everyone in that town considered inappropriate, improper… it just took him until it was gone for him to realize that.

Above him, Victor heard the sharp sounds of ravens crowing. It of course, reminded him of Emily, since they had seemed to be nearly everywhere she was. They weren't very pleasant birds, in Victor's opinion, but they had their own majestic essence to them. Almost how Emily was…

Suddenly, something snagged sharply onto Victor's mind, and all thoughts ceased. He stopped walking on the spot, and his eyes widened.

And then, without warning, an overwhelming feeling of grief washed over him. Victor gasped, feeling as if a bucket of freezing cold water had just been dumped on him, the already cold air dropping about another thirty degrees. Then more horrible emotions came crashing at him – pain, loneliness, rejection, a terrible longing, and the knowledge of having gone through this kind of pain once before. It was so bizarre, though. Victor knew it wasn't him feeling those things, but it was as if he was reading someone else's feelings.

Wait…

Victor finally moved from his frozen stance to turn his head and look around. It didn't take more than a few moments to confirm what he had thought.

He was standing on the very spot Emily had been buried, by the little cemetery in the woods, and… the place where they had first met.

Victor rushed over to the tree that she had been buried under, and fell to his knees. He now knew where the wave of awful emotions had come from. He was right on the spot where she had been murdered by the man she once loved, and Victor being the very man who had rejected her, it had to have brought upon something almost… paranormal. Emily's presence was very strong at that spot, and what Victor was feeling was what she was feeling.

His own grief began to take over Emily's… he had hurt her so much. She had put on a smile as she left the chapel that night, convincing Victor that she was fine letting him to with Victoria. But now he knew that he had been so stupid, not noticing the horrible sadness that must've been flowing through her. Not only had she been through the worst betrayal by the first man she loved, but then when she had at last found someone else to love, he walked out on her as well.

Victor slowly reached out a hand to the ancient tree in front of him, but stopped when he felt something wet fall upon his index finger. Looking down, he watched as the droplet of water slide off onto the ground. He was confused at first, but upon lifting that hand to his face, he felt dampness all the way down his cheek. Bringing his other hand to his opposite cheek, he felt the same dampness there as well.

He had been crying, and didn't even notice.

Not bothering to wipe away the numerous tears away, Victor reached out again to the tree, and placed his hand flat against the rough bark. Then he whispered Emily's name into the frostbitten air.

"Are you there? Can you hear me, Emily?" Victor completely forgot about not wanting to see her right away. Now that he knew how much she was hurting, how she felt, he _needed_ to see her… and soon. He continued on calling her name, getting louder each time. He knew it was crazy, and if anyone were to come across him, they would definitely believe he was. But he didn't care; he had to try and get a hold of her.

"Pipe _down_, young man!" snapped a voice quite suddenly. Victor nearly jumped out of his skin, and fell backwards away from the tree. Looking around frantically, he saw no one amongst the trees.

But before Victor evenhad time to register this, blackness surrounded him, and he felt as I he was lurched off ofthe ground, flying through darkness.


	6. i'm here

**A/N:** Hey there, everyone! I'm really sorry for the delay on this chapter! Finishing up the grading period at school's been hectic for the past few weeks, but things should be back to normal now, the past two weekends havekept me away from my notebook and computer,and plus I wanted to make thischapter a bit longer. And before going onto the chapter, I wanna say some things to a few reviewers:

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Lilly Belladonna Took:

First of all, I really wanna thank you for taking the time to write out that review. I love recieving long ones like that, so that they tell me more about what's good/bad about my stories, and why. Now that you tell me, Victor does seem selfish in this story, and I knew that was going to be one of the problems. I tried to make it so it wouldn't seem that way, but I didn't wanna make Victor insanely depressed over leaving Victoria, you know? I know he should feel awful about her, as well as Emily, and I guess I should have wrote more detail in about that situation. And the thing about Emily going to heaven... in my opinion, in this movie's world, there is no heaven or hell. Just that when you die, you go to the Land of the Dead, and that's that. I know there's been a bit of debate on the land of the dead only being for those with unfinished business, but as mentioned in chapter four, Mayhew had ended up in the land of the dead, and he had had no unfinished business that we knew of. That's what leads me to believe that in this movie, the land of the dead's the only place to be, so Victor wanting her to be there wouldn't really be seflish if he knew there was no heaven. And even if there was, Victor would still want Emily to be in the land of the dead in some part of him. I think it's just that thing with being in love with someone, when you want everything, but nothing at the same time. XD I dunno if that makes any sense.

Uhm... that said, I must thank you again for that review. It gave me some insight on what I should add on future chapters. And I'm glad you think this story isn't too horrible XD. And also, thanks for the compliments on some of the little tidbits from previous chapters.

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Gracefuldead56:

XD I just wanna say I love your enthusiasm. Kinda like me when I run into a story I really like, review on each chapter all excitedly n' such. Thanks for taking the time out to leave a review on each chapter as you went, I appreciate it

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And a quickie thanks to Benji's Riot Gurl for informing me on the new Corpse Bride section. I probably would've continued posting in the misc. movies section for quite a while if you hadn't let me know.

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Just so you guys know, I won't be starting a reviewer's corner thing. I really do love all you guys who review, I'd be lost with out you! But when people put those at the end of chapters, I always think there's more to read, when it actually just cuts off and goes forever on with replies to reviews. I don't wanna get you guys's hopes up on a longer chapter, when really it isn't ;; But in all seriousness, the increase in reviews as of late has really made me smile, and all the more eager to keep on writing chapters

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**Disclaimer:** see chapter one.

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_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

Chapter 6 - "I'm Here"

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"Are the rumors true? Is he really here?"

"Is it him, is it him!"

"No, it couldn't be –,"

"It's true! I see him, I'd recognize that boy anywhere!"

"Everyone, PLEASE be quiet!"

Many different voices were floating around, making his head hurt. Victor moaned and slowly lifted his eyelids open. Everything was a blur at first, what looked like the reflection of something in a puddle after someone stepped in it, and slowly coming back into form.

Victor blinked and raised a hand to his head. His face contorted lightly in pain, and upon reopening his eyes, he saw only a dark ceiling. A candle, or soft oil lamp burned softly from the other side of the room somewhere. He couldn't see it, only the gentle golden-yellow glow casting onto the ceiling. It might've been a cozy sight, but the constant shouting and loud talking from behind him ruined it.

"SILENCE!" bellowed a gruff voice. Victor jumped at the sudden outburst, and apparently hadn't been the only one caught off guard by it. All of the voices ceased immediately, and silence rung throughout the room.

"I know this is a shock," said the same voice, and now that it was calmer, Victor realized that he had heard that voice before… "But you all have to leave. You're causing far too much of a racket, and I've just finally been able to get Miss Emily to sleep. She hasn't rested in days."

A soft murmur began amongst the voices, and victor's senses snapped back into full function. His drowsiness and headache suddenly gone, he shot upward from his lying position, immediately looking to where the voices had been coming from. He watched the backs of fifteen or so people walking down a flight of stairs, and right at the top of the stairs watching them leave was a skeleton, hunched over wearily, peering through a pair of ancient half-moon spectacles. A few long strands of hair hung from his chin, remnants of a beard.

Victor recognized him right away.

"Elder Gutneckt!" he called to him, suddenly feeling relieved. He had really made it into the Land of the Dead. Even though he wasn't entirely sure on how he had gotten there, he was nonetheless elated that he had. The old skeleton turned slowly to look at him, and adjusted his glasses.

"Ah, you're awake," he stated, beginning to make his way over to the musty old couch Victor was lying upon. He fixed himself into a sitting position, and smoothed his tie and jacket down. "Sorry about that," the Elder continued. "When someone new enters this land, dead or alive, you can feel it. So when everyone came to see who you were and greet you, then saw it was you, well… needless to say it caused quite a bit of excitement."

Victor nodded sheepishly, suddenly feeling a bit timid for his fame in the Land of the Dead. It didn't surprise him, but it was still embarrassing.

"How did I get down here anyway?" The dark haired man inquired. All he could remember was kneeling at the base of Emily's tree in the forest, and… Emily! Elder Gutneckt had just mentioned her to the crowd of people!

Before the Elder could answer his first question, Victor hurriedly said, "Wait! Emily… where is she? Can I see her? Is she doing all right? I –," He ceased his run of questions as the skeleton rose a single bony finger, signaling for him to stop.

"She's resting at the moment, in the other room. I'm actually surprised she wasn't woken up by all of that noise," he told him. The old skeleton began scratching at his skull, something Victor figured as a nervous reaction. "And that's the part of the reason you're down here."

Victor looked at him, confused. Elder Gutneckt continued, his voice somber. "You see my boy, when someone in the Land of the Living tries to speak to someone who has passed away, like in prayers, or while visiting a gravesite?"

Victor nodded.

"Those words are actually heard by that person who is down here. Also, since I am the one in charge down here, I can hear them as well, but only if I am in close proximity of said person." The Elder began walking up the tower of old books that lead to his podium. "I had just been putting Miss Emily to sleep when you began calling for her, and very loudly at that." He adjusted his glasses almost accusingly at the living man below him. Victor felt himself grow red in embarrassment.

"And since the one in the Land of the Living, ninety-nine percent of the time doesn't hear the reply, the only way I could quiet you down was to bring you here."

Victor tugged nervously at his tie, feeling as if he were a big brother who had woken up the new baby. "I apologize, Elder Gutneckt. If I'd have known… I'm sorry," he spoke timidly.

The old skeleton smiled though, and waved his hand in a forgiving gesture. "It's fine, dear boy." His other hand didn't cease it's scratching, however, which most likely meant there was still something to be spoken about. And just as Victor realized this, as if on cue, Elder Gutneckt face fell somber once again.

"As for your inquiry on her condition…" Victor felt his heartbeat pick up speed, and his brows furrowed in concern. "I'm sorry to say that she hasn't been doing her best, even though she has been getting better recently."

Victor hung his head. He didn't know whether to be angry with himself, or relieved that she was, at the very least, doing better.

"It's strange, though," the Elder said. Victor looked up to see him still scratching at his head.

"It seems to me that this whole ordeal with you has affected her much more than when she first arrived here. I'll never forget that night, you know. It was already three years ago, but it seems like it was just last week. She had appeared down here, thoroughly frantic. It had taken a while to calm her down enough for her to tell us anything, and it took even longer for her to realize what _had _happened to her. It was understandable though, but we hardly ever get murder victims in these parts. Victor looked on at the Elder skeleton, very interested in the story. "She was, of course, distraught upon realizing that the man she loved was the one who had killed her. For the longest time, she barely spoke, slept, ate… anything. Over a short amount of time though, she recovered quite remarkably."

Elder Gutneckt finished up writing something in an old book, and snapped it shut with a loud bang. He waved his hand to clear the cloud of dust that had erupted around him, and made his way back down the stairs of books.

"Now, however, she does speak to everyone quite normally, acting quite normally, but the pain she hides behind her voice, the sadness glazed over in her eyes… far stronger than three years ago. Oh my boy, I do apologize. Please don't by any means feel as if I am accusing you or anything." He had hurriedly stated the last part as the look on Victor's face had changed to an expression of utter horror. The Elder's quick words had softened his expression a tiny bit, but the immense feeling o guilt that lurked within him only grew tenfold.

Elder Gutneckt had completed his journey down the books, and now stood still, looking on at the young man before him.

"Victor?"

He looked down at the skeleton, apprehension filling his eyes.

May I ask why it was that you were calling to her in the first place?"

Victor felt a bit embarrassed at first, knowing for sure that the Elder must've suspected something. How he had been slow on asking the question told Victor so. Still though, he began to tell him the story of how he had felt Emily's presence come into him at her burial site. He had left out the reason why he had ended up there in the first place, much too embarrassed to tell anyone that he wished to return to Emily.

When he was finished with his story, Elder Gutneckt simply nodded.

"That has been known to happen. It's actually what everyone would call a ghost, briefly coming into contact with the dead in whatever way."

Victor didn't reply to this, and looked away from the old skeleton before him. He knew that Elder Gutneckt knew there was more to his story; he was much too wise to not know. Still though, Victor wouldn't say anything on the subject… the pain of having to tell Victoria still lingered quite strongly within him… the pain of knowing that she was hurt one thousand times worse.

"Can I…" Victor bit his lip before finishing. He wanted to ask; he really did, but still felt ashamed of himself for the whole situation. Maybe he shouldn't… he should really just ask the Elder to send him back to the Land of the Living, and forget everythi –,

"See her?"

Victor's gaze snapped back over to the Elder, eyes wide. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt afraid. Maybe because this was even further proof of Victor's reason for being in the forest. Or perhaps it was just the childish fear of not being allowed something asked for.

Elder Gutneckt turned around and walked over to one of the towering bookshelves. Victor watched him, not having the slightest idea on what he was doing. The Elder seemed to be looking for something on the shelf, his one hand quickly scanning across the book spines. After a few moments, his hand came to an abrupt stop in front of a rather large, dark red book. He placed his hand on the top of it, pulled it out halfway, and then slid it back into place. Victor then looked on as Elder Gutneckt took a few steps back, and the bookshelf slowly divided into two separate ones, revealing a doorway in the middle.

Victor gaped at the dark doorway as if it were something magical. He really shouldn't be surprised, with how odd everything was down there, but still… it wasn't so much of how the door had been hidden there, but more of what he knew lay beyond that doorway.

The night at the chapel… the last time he had seen Emily had only been a month ago, give or take a few days. This Victor knew. But that day he had spent with her had been the longest in his life, and the most wonderful. That day, he had learned so many things… and having spent only a few weeks apart from those things might as well had been an eternity. And now he was back in the place that he longed to be in… and about to see the person he longed to see.

Emily…

Victor glanced at Elder Gutneckt for a moment, almost as if to make sure it was okay for him to proceed toward the dark room. The old skeleton nodded at him, and Victor looked back at the door. His heart was pounding within his chest, so loud that he thought for sure Elder Gutneckt could hear it. He took an inaudible breath, and began walking toward the space between the two bookshelves.

He placed his hand upon the wooden doorframe, his long, pale fingers brushing against small cracks in the wood. Now that he was directly in front of the room's entrance, it didn't seem so entirely dark and longer. There was actually a soft blue-ish glow about the room. He looked all around it at first, but his gaze came upon the four-poster bed on the left side of the room.

Black netting flowed downward from the vast canopy that almost touched the ceiling. Spiral shaped posts held it up, and attached themselves to the lower part of the bed, and the entire thing was a brilliant light cerulean. Despite the fact that it was quite noticeable how old the bed actually was, it was definitely a piece of artwork.

And resting upon its blue sheets was a bride, her long hair sprawled upon the moth-eaten pillow, as well as her shoulders and arms, and the long train of her dress hung from the other side of the mattress. She lay on her side, facing the doorway, her one arm tucked underneath her head, the other resting limply across her abdomen.

Remembering to breathe, Victor took his first few steps into the room nervously, and during his entire trek over to the bedside, his eyes never left her. He didn't think he could ever look away from her.

He stood right beside the bed now, inches away from her. He looked at her with desperate eyes, unable to believe that she was actually there before him. And for a little while, all he could was look. He was petrified that if he tried to do anything else at that moment, he would wake up in his bed back home.

"Victor…"

Victor nearly fell backwards, the sound catching him well off guard. He quickly looked down at Emily, knowing his name had come from her. Though it had been just one word, he recognized her voice. Her eyes remained closed, though her mouth hung slightly open now. Victor went down to his knees so that he was now at her level. His gaze turned sad, now knowing that she called out to him in her sleep, and for what must have felt just as long as it had felt to Victor, he wasn't there to answer.

"Well now I am," he whispered to her still form. Now unafraid of what might happen, Victor slowly reached out a hand, and gently brushed back stray hair from her face.

"I'm here now… Emily."


	7. a bit of hesitation

**A/N: **I am sorry once again for the lateness of this one, guys. I've been really distracted by a number of things lately, so yeah. But I was able to write this in only two nights! all it took was the right amount of inspiration, and my good ol' Titanic soundtrack XD. believe it or not, that music's REALLY good when it comes to writing romance. I was able to sit down to it last night, and get out two and a half pages in an hour! I was all surprised with myself XD.

In other stuff, I'm REALLY lovin' the reviews, guys! It's shocked me how many I'm getting for this story, and they really do help give me the determination to keep writing. Though right now, I'm having soe much fun with this, I couldn't give it up either way, but still. It helps to know that I'm not the only one having fun

Oh, and I got my first flame! XD it made me giggle shmiggle, really. I appreciate flames just as much as I do regular reviews. At least I know people are giving this story a try. Though really, if you're not a fan of this pairing in the first place, I would hope the summary would tell you that's what this story's about, and that would be enough to turn you away, you know? I know there's a bit of a battle raging between the Victor/Emily fans, and the Victor/Victoria fans, and wasn't surprised when I got that flame. Honstly, I don't really mind Victor/Victoria, it's cute it's its own little way. I just thought Victor/Emily had so much more to it, therefor I love it lots more.

OOOH, and to one of my reviewers who asked ('im sorry, I can't remember your username > ;;;;): the title of the story didin't come from the bible, no. Just thought it up in meh head. Though that verse does go quite well with this story.

ANYway, enough with my incoherent rambling, and on with the chapter. I hope it's a decent length for you guys!

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**Discalimer:** see chapter one.

**0o0**

_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

Chapter Seven - "A Bit of Hesitation"

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**0o0**

**0o0**

"_Emily..."_

_She turned her head all around to try and find the source of that all-too-familiar voice calling out to her. It had been the fifth time the voice called her name, and she still could not see whom it came from. All she could see was thick, white mist on every side of her. _

"_Who's there?" she shouted, her voice echoing emptily. "Who's there?"_

_It was quiet for a moment, and then,_

"_Emily, have you forgotten?"_

_She continued to look in all directions, frantically searching. She knew that voice from somewhere, she knew she did. And it was almost hurting her to try and remember. _

"_Forgotten what?" she replied back. _

_Or quite a while, the voice didn't answer. After a few minutes, however, the mist began to clear up. Slowly, the mist began to thin out, reveling a dark path, which she was standing on. She looked down the path as far as she could see, but the mist was still too thick for her to see anything else. She squinted, trying her best to make out something, anything that could at least give her a hint of who the voice was coming from. And at last, to her excitement, a figure began to appear, though it must've been a good twenty or thirty feet away. _

"_Forgotten your feelings for me? Or my feelings for you?"_

_Emily's eyes widened, her heart now thumping in her chest. She gasped, the pulsing of the organ nearly painful. She clasped her hands to her chest in shock. She was dead! Had been for years now, and just as long had her heart stopped beating. How was it possible…_

_She gasped again, as she looked down the path once more. "It's couldn't be…" she whispered. The dark figure was no longer clouded over by the mist. He stood straight up, long slim legs holding up his body. Arms of the same shape hung from his small shoulders. On the top of his head rested thick, black hair, one tuft of it sticking out stubbornly, and painfully familiar large eyes looked on at her softly. _

_Her breath caught in her throat. She could barely manage out his name, "Victor…" _

_He smiled at her._

_At once, she remembered his inquiry. "No, Victor…" she wanted desperately to go closer to him, but something held her back. She tried to move, but invisible hands held her still. "Of course I haven't forgotten you. I could never…"_

"…Or my feelings for you?"

_Had she been hearing things, or had he actually said that? She stopped in what she was saying, looking down at the ground below her. What was going on?_

"_Emily."_

_Almost mechanically, she looked up at him. _

"_I love you."_

_Her eyes widened as far as they possibly could. Her mouth hung open, and as hard as she tried, nothing would sound from it. She felt completely helpless. _

_And then Victor turned around and began walking away. She tried to move, to reach out her hand to him, anything to keep him from leaving, but she still was not permitted to move. And now, she was not permitted to speak, for she tried yelling for him, but her voice refused to work. _

_Tears stung at her eyelids as Victor's form became smaller and smaller with each second. She mouthed his name, hoping beyond hope that he would somehow be able to hear her. _

_He continued walking, and not longer thereafter, he was out of her line of vision. Only then was she permitted to cry out, and fall to her knees. _

_Her heart stopped beating. _

**0o0**

"Victor!"

Emily flung herself upright in her bed, gasping for breath. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she clung to the bed sheets as if they were going to save her from something.

A few seconds passed, and she began to calm down. She realized it had just been a dream, but still… it was unlike any other she'd had of Victor. Maybe it meant something.

A movement from right beside her ceased all thoughts, however. She turned her head to see what it was, and nearly fainted at what she saw.

Victor was rested upon his knees on the floor next to the bed, his head cradled in his arms upon the mattress. His eyes were closed, and soft breathing emitted from his small mouth in his slumber.

Only moments later, and to Emily's horror, Victor's eyes fluttered open. Her shouting his name must've woken him, and she could only stare as he slowly sat up from his sleeping position. For quite a few seconds, Victor didn't even seem to notice Emily sitting up, staring at him, looking scared to death. When he went to yawn though, he finally noticed her, and his eyes went wide.

"Emily!" he gasped, nearly falling backwards.

"Victor!" Emily mirrored.

For a moment, the two just stared at one another in utter shock. They're expressions were perfect copies of each other's; eyes wide, mouths gaping. A couple times, both went to say something, but could find nothing suitable to say. Silence surrounded them for quite a bit of time.

Emily was finally able to find her senses and ask him, "What… what're you doing here?" What he had said to her in her dream floating back into her memory, and she tried her best to knock it away.

Victor suddenly became uneasy. Sure, he could tell her how he had ended up there… Elder Gutneckt had sent him down, but then there was the question of why. He began fiddling with his tie. "Well, I… uh, the Elder sent me down here because IU was, er… causing a bit of a racket up in the Land of the Living…" he trailed off, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.

As expected, Emily still looked thoroughly confused. "But why…?" she began, but Victor interrupted her.

"Look, it's getting hot in here, don't you think?" he asked, chuckling nervously. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

Still looking completely surprised, it took her a moment, but she nodded, and climbed out of the bed. Victor stood from the floor, and nearly ran into her as she stood up from the bed. He now remembered how he was taller than her, now that he was this close to her once again. Inches apart, all he could do at that moment was stare, as could she.

"Victor, wh—,"

Victor shushed her, something he did before stopping himself. She was looking at him, as if desperate for something to happen, though unknowing of what. She still had no clue how all of this happened, or why it was all happening, but something just told her to leave questions for later. Right now…

With all of his will power, Victor forced himself to break the trance between them. He shook his head, and smiled at Emily innocently, as if nothing had happened.

"Now then," he said with forced casualty. "Shall we go?"

Her expression flashed with disappointment for a moment, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. She mimicked his smile, and nodded. Victor, closest to the door, then took her hand in his, and led her out of the room.

Elder Gutneckt had returned to his usual spot atop his podium, flipping through one of his old books, a crow perched on top of his wine goblet. As the two entered the room, the old skeleton averted his gaze to them.

"Elder Gutneckt," Emily spoke. "Victor and I are going out for a while." The Elder smiled kindly, and nodded.

"Oh, and thanks so much again, Elder Gutneckt. You really are too kind to me," she said to him warmly, smiling.

"Anything for you, my dear," he replied back kindly. He watched them turn and walk down the flight of stairs, and then went back to his book.

**0o0**

For a while, silence rung between the two as they walked the streets of the Land of the Dead. Others passed them here and there, and quite often, one would slightly stare at Victor, obviously having remembered him from the last time he'd been down there. This made him feel a bit uneasy around Emily, but did his best to try and ignore the attention.

After a few tries, Victor was finally able to get his voice to work. "Emily, look, I…" She turned her head to look at him, and for some reason, this caused a hesitation in his sentence. For a moment, he almost forgot what he was saying.

"You see…" and Victor actually thought he was going to be able to say it, but suddenly, the street they were walking on seemed much more crowded than seconds before, and more eyes seemed to pry on them as they walked past. Immediately, he lost his nerve. So, holding her hand just a bit tighter, he began to walk a bit faster.

"Let's go somewhere more… er, secluded, shall we?" he said nervously, chuckling slightly as he finished. His eyebrows furrowed in embarrassment, and he felt his pale cheeks go red. Thankfully, he had turned his face away from her before this happened, though.

Emily looked on at him, confused, but then her expression melted into one of happiness. She smiled, gazing at the back of his head and never letting her eyes waver. She never thought… never even dared to _wish_ that she would be able to see Victor again, and yet… there he was, right in front of her, holding her hand, and leading her down the street. She felt a tear sting at her eye, but blinked it away. She couldn't let him see her cry like that, not now.

A few minutes passed with nothing said between the two, before they came to a flight of stairs. Victor knew where they were. Smiling, he made his way up the stairs, and onto an all-too-familiar veranda way up above the rest of the town. A rusted rod-iron railing curved its way around the edge, and you could see for miles around. And a bench sat on its own against the wall right next to the railing.

Emily recognized the spot at once, and she didn't know if victor had brought them there intentionally, or had just come across it. Either way, it made her smile all the wider.

Victor let go of her hand almost abruptly, and sharply turned to face her. It probably would've caused her to jump if she hadn't been paying attention to him so intently. For a moment, Victor's eyes looked determined, as if there was some kind of battle he had to win, or mystery he needed to solve. But then his eyes quickly changed, filled with something Emily couldn't quite name. She saw just a tiny bit of everything… sadness, guilt, happiness, delight, desperation… all in those large eyes of his that now stared at her.

"Look, Emily, I…" he bit his lip nervously, feeling himself to tremble ever so slightly. His heart was pounding so fast, it was almost painful. He really had no clue why he was so afraid… it should've been such an easy thing to tell her, especially since she seemed to still feel the same way about him. But then again, that shouldn't be reason at all to tell her… she has a right to know, either way, and he knew if he didn't tell her at some point or another, it would haunt him for the rest of his life. So, taking a deep breath, Victor mentally braced himself, and was about to try and speak once again, before a pair of slim arms suddenly wrapped themselves around his back.

Looking down with wide eyes, Victor could only see the top of Emily's head pressed against his chest. If possible, his heart picked up even more speed, and he knew that she had to feel it. For the longest time, neither said a word or moved.

"I'm… sorry, Victor," Emily finally whispered out. He looked down at her questioningly, even though she couldn't see his face. "I know this is improper, but… I'm just so glad…" he voice cracked, sobs beginning to rack her tiny frame. "… That you're here."

After a few seconds of being surprised wore off, Victor went to say something, but stopped when Emily began again.

"Please, just…" she sniffled quietly. "Just… let me stay here, Victor. Just for a little while…"

He could think of nothing to say. What _could _he say? Nothing he thought of would've made her feel any better, and with his luck, would only make her feel worse. So, gently, he finally moved his arms from their stiff, shocked position. He wrapped one arm across her shoulders, bringing her just a tiny bit closer to him, and one hand on the back of her head.

Resting his cheek on the top of her head, he closed his eyes.


	8. blame it on the moon

A/N: sorry for the wait everyone, but I've got you all an extra-long chapter this time! yay! I had lots of fun writin' this on, and I'm looking forward to start working on the next one, yepper. As always, I love all of you guys for leaving all the reviews, and, uh... happy belated thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: see chapter one, and I don't own the song, "Blame It On the Moon," I believe Katie Melua wrote it.

**0000000000000000**

_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

Chapter Eight - "Blame It On the Moon"

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Victor was unable to think.

But even if he could, he wouldn't want to.

As he idly ran his fingers across Emily's hair, he let his mind drift. Nothing was there to bother him, or them. No problems to think about, no dilemmas, no hesitation, no sadness, or guilt… just for now, if even for a few seconds, it was just the two of them. That moment was for them, and them alone. And Victor wouldn't have it any other way.

But as all things in the world, the moment had to end. Emily, though very reluctantly, loosened her grip on Victor, and straightened herself. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. She was looking off to the left somewhere as Victor looked on at her. He was still in a bit of a daze, thoughts of awkwardness or nervousness gone from him.

"I don't want to know," Emily spoke suddenly, still not looking directly at Victor's face.

He tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Know what?" He wanted to take both of her hands in his, but decided against it.

She seemed a bit angrier with this, her reply adding a bit of frustration in its tone along with the sadness. "I don't want to know why you're here." It didn't help in Victor's confusion, though. He was about to question again, before she spoke once more.

"I just… I'd rather not know… I know for a fact that you're coming here was an accident in some way or another, and you'll…" She swallowed hard, and snapped her head in his direction, now looking at him with pain-filled eyes.

"You'll leave."

Victor could only stare as those words escaped her lips. Guilt came back at him full throttle, and he frowned. He wanted to apologize, tell her how sorry he was for all the pain that he had caused her, how sorry he was for making the mistake of leaving her in the first place… but he knew it would make nothing better. It would probably make her even more upset. And he wouldn't blame her.

A small tear fell from one eye, and she quickly lifted her hand to wipe it away. "So… if it's not too much to ask, Victor…"

She grabbed hold of both of his hands, beating him to the gesture.

"Let's just go and have some fun, okay?"

For a moment, Victor debated on whether to sit her down and actually tell her the real reason he was there. But in the end, he figured it best to pretend for just a little bit. If it was what she wanted, then he would pretend.

Enclosing his fingers around her hands, he smiled and nodded happily.

**000000000000000**

As before, as the two walked down the brick-road street, they received many stares. Thankfully though, the people in the Land of the Dead wouldn't go up to them and attack Victor with questions, or anything of the sort. This Victor was happy for.

This time, he let Emily lead him, even though he had a good guess on where they were going. Once again, the entire walk was silent between both of them. Neither felt awkward, however. Occasional glances and smile were exchanged, and that was conversation enough for both of them.

Emily thought to herself for most of the trip, sometimes even forgetting what was going on around her, losing herself in her brooding.

She couldn't blame herself, though. The man whom she had fallen more in love with than she had with Barkis, the man who left her for another woman, the subject of all of her dreams and nightmares for the past month… was walking right next to her. She had believed that when she left the chapel was going to be the last time she'd ever actually see him. She'd wished in her heart for his happiness and a fruitful future, in the arms of a perfect wife, and even little children someday. She was truly happy that he had found such a wonderful life.

Though when she was all alone, she would allow her darker desires to surface. Though she wished for her love's happiness, she longed for that happiness to be found in her. She wanted him to have loved her, to have died to be with her that night. She wished that Victoria hadn't come into the chapel, so that Victor would be there with her.

She knew she was being entirely selfish, thinking more of herself than Victor. But… she knew she couldn't help it either. No matter how much she would try to tell herself that she didn't wish for those things… she knew deep down that she did. And this would bring guilt onto her nearly as strong as her grief.

A soft squeeze from Victor's hand brought Emily from her thoughts abruptly. She turned to look back at him, and he was smiling that gentle smile that she loved so much. She returned the smile, and turned back to look ahead of her. And there she saw their destination.

Just as Victor had thought, the Ball and Socket Pub, with it's circular windows in the front, and wooden sign swinging back and forth from above the doorway. Victor let out a small chuckle.

"I remember this place," he whispered just loud enough for Emily to hear. She smiled to herself before continuing on toward the building and going inside.

Victor had to keep himself from smiling like an idiot as he entered the small pub. Lively music sounded from the stage, colored lights shone from all around, people chatting happily. It all made him feel so carefree, what he had been longing for all his life. He could've slapped himself for being so frightened of it when he had first been there. But now, the fact that everyone around him was dead, (and very obviously at that) didn't bother him in the slightest.

Just as he had outside, inside the pub, Victor earned quite a few stares from a handful of people, but he did his best to ignore it. He noticed a couple people smile his way, but other than that, he paid no attention.

He turned his head toward the stage as a familiar voice joined in on the jazzy tune. He couldn't help himself from smiling even wider as he saw Bonejangles up there, belting out the words in that rough, jazzy voice of his, swaying the beat of the music. A band of skeletons sat off to the right of the stage, playing various instruments.

The whole atmosphere almost made him want to giggle like a child on christmas morning, but he held it in.

"Victor, dear!" called a gruff woman's voice from in front of them. Victor looked around for a moment before finally spotting the plump old woman, head of the pub's kitchen, Ms. Plum. He smiled at her, as did Emily, as she waddled up to the both of them, angrily shoving other people out of her way. When she finally stood before the both of them, a warm smile came to her face, and she took Victor's hand and patted it in a mother-like fashion.

"Oh Victor dear, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see ya here again," she said cheerily. "We've all missed ya quite a lot. You've probably already noticed that we all remember you." Victor nodded, and chuckled lightly.

All of a sudden, a loud crash sounded from the kitchen. No one else noticed it, since the bar was already filled with noise, but the three of them flinched as the crash was heard. Ms. Plum sighed and rolled her eyes.

Patting victor's hand once more, she said, "Well, I unfortunately I have to tend to some bonehead workers in the back. No pun intended… anyway, enjoy yourself, Victor. And you too, Emily."

Emily smiled in reply, and the old woman was once again making her way back into the kitchen. Victor laughed again, saying to Emily, "I remember her, too."

Just then, the song Bonejangles had been singing ended with a roll of the symbol. People quieted their talking to listen to what the jazzy skeleton was going to say. He padded his way to the front of the stage, quietly snapping his fingers to an unheard beat. Once the pub was relatively quiet, he spoke.

"Hey there, all you ladies n' gents!" he called in his cool, raspy voice. "I've got a special treat for you all tonight," there were a few cheers amongst the crowd. "A real gifted little lady, some of you might remember!"

The cheers amongst the crowd grew a bit louder, and Emily leaned over to Victor half-shouting above the noise to him, "I think I know who it is!"

Bonejangles spun around to the back of the stage, pointed his fingers toward to moth-eaten red curtain, and bellowed out, "Lizzy Limbs!" And at this, more cheers erupted from everyone, as well as from Emily, and a figure stepped out from behind the curtain.

As Victor looked at her, he noticed she couldn't have been more than thirteen-fourteen when she died. As everyone else's, her skin was a pale blue, her large eyes a faded yellow. She had short, straight (but matted) hair, and her hoop-skirt dress had tears all along the bottom, and holes scattered across it, and her blouse. Victor noticed with a small flinch, that her pointer and ring fingers were missing from her left hand.

As the cheers and applause died down a bit, the girl spoke to the pub in a soft voice, "I've got a special song prepared for all you guys here!"

Next to Victor, Emily was smiling excitedly. Without taking her eyes off of the stage, she leaned over again and said to Victor, "Ooh, I can't wait to hear. She's got such a lovely voice." She paused for a moment before adding, "It's a shame she only comes around once in a while."

Lizzy had said something else, but Victor couldn't make it out above all of the cheers and hoots from the people around him. As she finished whatever it was she had been saying, she turned to the band and pointed to them, and they started playing a melancholy intro to the song. Soft guitar, with a bit of drums and symbol. A couple of people walked out to the dance floor and began making up their own steps as the song started up, and Lizzy began to sing in a soft, majestic voice,

"_Gonna blame it on the moon,_

_Didn't want to fall in love again so soon."_

Still holding onto one of Victor's hands, Emily grabbed hold of the other, and stepped in front of him, and childish grin on her face.

"Come on, Victor!" she shouted above the music. "Let's dance, come on!" She lightly tugged on his hands, but he smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

"I can't dance!" he replied, tugging back.

She frowned playfully. "Aw come on Victor, you just have to go with the music!"

He shook his head again. "No, I'll look like a fool out there!"

She pouted for a moment, but then smiled at him. "Oh fine then. It's your loss, though!" And with that, she let go of his hands, and made her way over to the dance floor. For a moment, Victor thought it impossible to dance on your own to a slow song such as the one Lizzy was performing, but as he watched Emily, he was proved wrong.

_"Now that it's gone too far to call for halt,_

_I'll blame it on the moon, because it's not my fault_

_I didn't think that this would happen so soon_

_So I'll blame it on the moon."_

Victor's watch on Emily soon became a daze as she swayed back and forth with the utmost grace to the song's rhythm. Her arms curved in every position possible, adding more beauty to the dance, and she seemed to be almost floating, her feet so expertly grazing the floor. Her hips moved from side to side slowly, in sync with her ghostly veil swaying to and fro.

Victor felt his heart pick up speed at Emily's beauty. She spun around in her dance, and he could see her face for only a moment. Her eyes had been closed, and a wistful smile lingered upon her lips. The soft, purple light shined on her face from the stage, and accented her blue skin with a gorgeous radiance.

The young dark haired man swallowed hard and subconsciously began fiddling with his tie.

"_I was happy to be free_

_Didn't think I'd give myself so easily."_

Victor now knew he was blushing, and mentally cursed himself for it. He hoped the dark lighting in the pub wouldn't make it noticeable.

Still in a bit of a daze, Victor began walking forward. Part of him was screaming at him to stop, that it would only end in embarrassment. But with an unknown ambition, he kept on walking, easing between groups of people here and there. His eyes never left Emily's dancing form.

Suddenly the entire pub seemed much bigger, more space between him and everyone else. Atop the stage, Lizzy began moving to the song herself as the instruments played the slightest bit louder. Victor's heartbeat now felt like it was following the beat of the song.

Emily had yet to notice him, which he was thankful for, for reasons unknown to him. He kept on walking toward the dance floor, and it seemed to take much longer than it looked like it would. Maybe it was just because he was so nervous. But after what felt like an hour to Victor, he was only a mere feet away from Emily, who had her back toward him and was now just slowly moving back and forth, her arms tucked in to her sides slightly.

He walked up behind her as Lizzy finished the second verse of the song. Still oblivious to him standing right behind her, Emily continued in her swaying, lost in the music, inattentive to everything around her.

Still allowing his subconscious to guide him, Victor placed his arms around Emily from behind, and placed his hands atop hers, gently pressing them to her abdomen. Her eyes flew open at the contact, and she let out a surprised gasp. Her dancing ceased, and she quickly turned her head to look at whoever it was that had snuck up on her. And when she saw Victor's smiling face inches away from her own, her eyes went wider. After the moment of shock had passed, she was finally able to let a smile creep out onto her face, though she still felt entirely nervous. She couldn't help but wonder wildly in her mind, what he was doing. Didn't he… wasn't he with… Victoria? What…

Her thoughts ceased as Victor gently rested his cheek on her head and closed his eyes. Her nervousness started to disappear, and she turned her head back to look ahead of her. She slowly began moving from side to side once more, and only when Victor followed suit, did she allow her eyes to close as well. Victor's fingers intertwined themselves with her own. She could barely hear Lizzy's serene voice from the stage,

"_Now that it's gone too far to call for a halt,_

_I'll blame it on the moon, because it's not my fault._

_I didn't think that this would happen so soon…_

_So I'll blame it on the moon…"_

Neither of the two could interpret what was happening at that moment. Victor hadn't even thought about going up to Emily in the middle of the song, and Emily was just ignoring her confusion for that moment. Her conscious was demanding to know why Victor was behaving the way he was. Wasn't the entire reason he was down there an accident? Sure, she didn't let him explain, but that was because she had been sure that was the only reason he was there with her – a misunderstanding.

Just like last time.

What else could it be? That was the question that kept her from allowing her hopes to rise. There was no other plausible reason for his showing up there, and she wouldn't let her mind think any different. She didn't want… to be let down again. She had been through it twice, and didn't think she could make it through again.

But… Victor was… he was being the Victor she dreamed about. The Victor that had chosen her instead of Victoria, the one that had chosen to stay with her and not called their meeting an accident… a "mistake."

Why, though…? Why was he…

Emily was broken from her thoughts abruptly, as she heard Victor say her name. She turned her gaze toward him again, and looked at him questioningly.

She didn't think she had seen anyone with such a look on their face. She couldn't even name what it was that was flashing in his large eyes. Her expression changed to a bit of concern. He looked like he waned to say something, but no words came from him.

"What wrong, Victor?"

"_So I'll blame it on the moon…"_

The song ended, and cheers erupted form the crowd around them. Though neither of them even noticed, still looking on at one another rather intently. Victor opened his mouth for a moment, and then shut it again. With a frustrated look on his face, he looked down for a moment, causing Emily's worry to increase. When he looked back up to her, he looked almost… scared.

And then, without warning, Victor leaned into the precious little bit of space that was between them, and softly pressed his lips on Emily's. The concern in her eyes immediately left, replaced with shock, and she could've _sworn_ that she felt the faintest hint of a heartbeat echoing through her ribcage.

Though before the tiniest bit of happiness came to her, one word flashed across her mind.

… Why?

She stood stock still in Victor's hold, not daring to move, almost scared to. Only about a moment later did Victor pull away from her, his eyes filled to the brim with fear and desperation. He looked at her, waiting for her reaction, also not daring to move an inch.

The shocked expression hadn't left her face, though it soon became clouded over with something that mirrored incredulity. She couldn't… she could barely even think. Confusion began to overwhelm her, the question of why not ceasing it's constant run through her mind.

Suddenly, without thinking, she abruptly pulled herself out of Victor's arms. The fear in his eyes maximized tenfold as she stood there in front of him, still saying nothing. Though after a few horrible seconds, she finally found her voice somewhere in the screaming going on in her head.

"Victor, I… what are you…" She couldn't even finish. She had no clue what to do… and it didn't help when Victor suddenly looked like he had been slapped in the face. She felt horrible, and happy, and guilty, and confused… too many things all at once, she couldn't think straight.

So with one last look of helplessness, she turned and quickly made her way out of the bar.


	9. tears to shed

**A/N:** okay, I know I know. this chapter is pathetically short, but I have this HUGE essay to finish by tomorrow morning, and I really wanted to update before the weekend was out. and this was all I had time to push out. I'm so sorry!

**Disclaimer:** see chapter one.

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_Though We Walk Through the Valley_

Chapter 9 - "Tears to Shed"

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After a while, Emily's running slowed into a fast walk. As she had run out of the pub minutes before, she earned herself quite a few stares as she made her way rather quickly down the street. She didn't pay much attention to where she was going, though doing her best to take any turns that came up in the road, hoping to get as far away from the pub as possible.

But then, it wasn't really the place she was running from, was it? She was running away from Victor, more than anything else. Why exactly she did this, she didn't know. She herself would love to know.

There had been no reason to run away. She got what the wanted, right? Victor, he… he kissed her.

_Kissed _her.

Emily blinked as the word crossed her mind. Her good hand came up to touch her lips, lightly brushing them with her cold fingertips. For some reason, the fact that he _had_ kissed her just now seemed to register in her mind.

She couldn't understand it. This was what she wanted, what she longed for; for Victor to hold her the way he had in the pub, and to show such affection for her. So then…

She couldn't even finish the thought, tired of the word 'why' crossing her mind. She shook her head, frustrated at her own ignorance toward the situation, and angry with herself for it all.

Victor must've been acting irrationally. That had to be it, there was no other reason for what he had done. The music must've just gotten to him, and he acted upon the moment. She nodded her head to herself, although a bit reluctantly, telling herself that had to have been what happened. He was in love with Victoria, no one else. That was the only reason why he had let her down in the first place; because he was in love with her, no one else…

… _No on else._

Emily paused in her walking as the thought came to her, stopping dead in the middle of the road. She felt a great wave of sadness suddenly crash over her, and her eyes almost instantly began to well with tears.

She was lucky that there wasn't anyone else on the deserted cobblestone road, for she then fell to her knees, sobs violently racking her entire frame.

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Victor walked along the crowded road, filled with people and little shops, his hands in his pockets, and his gaze fixed upon the ground.

He had no idea where Emily had gone, having left the pub much to late to see which way she had gone. The shock of her outburst had surprised him into freezing up, not being able to register what exactly had happened for a good few minutes. By the time he had regained his senses, he knew Emily was long gone. He was happy no one had noticed the incident.

So now he walked solemnly through the crowd, feeling as low as he could ever remember feeling. He didn't know it was possible to feel so horrible.

Though he was confused about Emily's actions, he couldn't entirely blame her either. He… had a strong feeling that she still felt the same way about him, so then why had she run away? But then he also knew it must've been because of shock. And as said before, he couldn't blame her. Though it had been a short amount of time they had been apart, it still had to have been an immensely huge shock for him to come down there all of a sudden. And then with what he had done in the pub…

Victor sighed, but at the end of it, the tiniest of sobs made its way from his mouth. A bit shocked, he placed a hand over his mouth, his eyes widening somewhat. Though he knew he definitely wasn't the bravest of men, he still hadn't cried since he was eight years old, when Scraps had died.

Victor swallowed hard, not wanting to cry in front of everyone around him. He quickly wiped away a small tear that rolled down his pale cheek.


	10. unpleasant runins

A/N: dude, I'm sorry for the late chapter, guys. it figures, that once school calms down a bit, christmas comes along XD. yeah, everything's been hectic lately with the holidays, and I'll probably be a little late with the next chapter as well. but I promise, it's just because I'm busy, not because I've lost interest. so yeah, once again, thank you thank you thaaaaaank yoooouuuuu all for the reviews. I love you all so much! -group huggles!-

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

_Though We Walk Through the Valley_

Chapter 10 - "Unpleasant Meetings"

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Victor didn't know how long he had been walking. He allowed his feet to lead him around aimlessly through the Land of the Dead.

He suddenly felt very alone. He felt out of place, being the only living person amongst all those passing by him, though he knew he shouldn't be. Everyone who lived down there was exceptionally nice and welcoming. No one shunned him because of his being in a completely different state from them. But he still had a feeling as though he had been left all alone inside of a small dark room, but with the muffled noise of the outside world beyond the walls.

And he knew he only felt this way because Emily wasn't with him.

It had been as if a candle had gone out. It had been lit, though unnoticed, upon meeting her for the first time, but slowly began to burn out when she left him for Victoria. Then it seemed for a moment earlier that day, when holding her whilst on top of the balcony ledge, there was hope of saving the small flame. But then it had completely been snuffed out when she left him in the pub.

Victor sighed. Maybe she didn't feel the same as she did then? Maybe she found someone else down here? He knew then, it would be someone better for her. If that was so, then he should just go back up to the Land of the Living, and live out the life he promised he would the day he was wed to Victoria…

"Well, well, well…" drawled a menacingly familiar voice. Victor's head snapped up, and his gaze met an acid-yellow one.

Barkis Bittern stood before Victor, blue-skinned, arms crossed, and a smug look on his face. He had darker blue-ish purple patches on his skin, Victor guessed were results of being trapped in that back room of the church with quite a few angry friends of Emily. He also had taters of clothing missing from his once perfect suit, along with small holes here and there.

After the momentary shock of running into the man had worn off, Victor's eyes formed a glare. He knew how horrible the man was, though he had only been in his presence briefly before. He knew, however, that he married off woman, tricking them into love, only for their money, and then killing them. Moreover, he had done it to Emily, and almost to Victoria; two people Victor held very dear to him.

"Barkis," Victor stated scathingly, not bothering to add the 'Lord' title before the man's name. He didn't deserve it.

"Master… Van Dort? Am I right?" Barkis questioned a little bit too casually for Victor's liking. His only reply was glaring more intently at him. Barkis looked at his fingernails, and Victor supposed this was out of habit, for he doubted his fingernails were anything close to shiny anymore.

Chuckling pompously, he began to speak. "What a surprise it is to see you down here. May I ask," he turned his gaze away from his hand, and looked back up to Victor. "Why?"

"That doesn't concern you," Victor said almost immediately.

Barkis merely smiled. "It's little miss Emily, isn't it?" he inquired, an evil sort of drawl in his tone. Victor felt his stomach lurch, and hoped it hadn't shown on his face. But if it had or hadn't, Barkis kept talking and didn't notice it.

"Ah, it's a shame, boy." The dead man took a few steps to the right. "She's been an absolute wreck since that night."

For a moment, Victor's anger burst forward, forcing him to shout, "You call it shame, but you have no concern for her well-being at all! _You're_ the one who put her here!"

Victor didn't think he'd ever shouted like that before. Complete hatred for the man before him bubbled up inside of him, threatening to break lose the next time Barkis even dared speak Emily's name.

Play-acting shock, Barkis had a poor attempt at a look o surprise upon his face. Victor nearly laughed at how foolish he looked.

"How do you mean?" he asked, his 'innocence' beginning to melt away. "I could never, _would_ never, do something so… ghastly." The last word of his sentence dripped with acid. "And especially to Emily," he added.

"After all…" his lips curled up into an evil grin. "… I loved her."

Victor couldn't recall a time when he had felt anywhere near this much anger toward someone. It was all he could do, and more, not to pounce on the dead man right then and there.

Barkis looked as if he were enjoying the rouse he was getting out of Victor. He felt weak for allowing himself to be bothered by Barkis' meaningless words, but he couldn't help the powerful feeling of protectiveness for Emily.

"You loathsome, four excuse for a man," Victor hissed, his eyes flaring with the utmost hatred. "You speak of feelings for her, yet you feel nothing. You may as well have been born an insignificant insect, Barkis."

Victor felt as if he were an entirely different person. He didn't even know he was capable of speaking such words to anyone.

Barkis was unfazed, but this didn't surprise Victor. A small, yet malicious smile began to play on Barkis' features. "My, my," he voiced. He let out a small chuckle before continuing, "Is it… that you _love _her, Master Van Dort?"

Victor's stomach repeated it's turnover from before, and yet again, he hoped beyond all hope that it hadn't shown. Though he had a sinking feeling that it had, for Barkis' smile widened.

"Ha, it seems that would be the case, then," Barkis stated with finality. "You came down here in hopes to get Emily back. How you managed to escape Miss Victoria though, I cannot guess."

Victor felt himself begin to tremble with anger. He began to become numb to all other emotions; the only thing running through his mind was that of his hatred toward Barkis Bittern. Victor could think of nothing else.

Barkis kept going. "Tut, tut, how selfish you are, Master Van Dort." He paused, as if allowing Victor to speak up in his own defense, but he said nothing. Victor knew he had been selfish for even thinking of going back to Emily. Barkis wasn't telling him anything he didn't know, but still… Victor felt the tiniest bit of self-loathing creep up into him along with his anger.

"I heard that batty old codger, Gutneckt, telling you about Emily's condition just a few hours ago," Barkis informed him. This news surprised Victor slightly, but the second the surprise had registered in Victor's mind, it was pushed away.

"… and I was half-shocked to learn that my tricking her into loving me, eloping off with me, and even betraying her own father and family in the process, didn't effect her _nearly _as much as you not returning her feelings, and her leaving you of her own free will for another woman, for your happiness.

"And yet still, Master Van Dort, you believe you can waltz right down here and hope to get her back, just like that, and whenever you feel like?"

Barkis had a rather satisfied look upon his face, while Victor was trying his hardest to keep the dumbstruck one off of his. Barkis had almost sounded as if he cared for Emily, and was telling Victor off for so selfishly trying to win her back. But Victor knew Barkis had only made that short speech to upset him, and point out all of Victor's faults.

Silence passed between the two for quite some time. Wind blew, distant voices from another street were the only things heard.

When all of a sudden, a sharp, female voice sliced through the silence like a knife, causing Victor to jump.

"Barkis," said the voice from behind said man.

Barkis whipped his head around to see a shadowed figure walking toward to the two of them. Though her face could not be seen, Victor recognized the unmistakable long train, and ghostly flowing veil. It wasn't until she passed under the street light, did Emily's face become visible, aglow with eerie light. Her eyes were fixated on Barkis, fire rising in them.

"Emily," Barkis replied unpleasantly.

Emily wasted no time. "Elder Gutneckt had ordered that you are not to be within one hundred feet of me."

Barkis glared at her, though didn't dare to say what Victor knew he was longing to.

"_Go_, Barkis," she ordered quite firmly. Barkis continued to stare at her with contempt, but reluctantly turned away from her, and began to walk toward Victor. It seemed to take an eternity, watching him walk rather slowly across the cobblestone. When he finally came to Victor however, he whispered to him,

"We'll be seeing each other again, Master Van Dort."

Victor just continued glaring at him as he had been since he first ran into him. He turned and watched Barkis walk down the street, further and further away from him. And only when Barkis disappeared behind a brick building, did Victor's immense anger finally begin to dwindle.


	11. wanting

A/N: Wah! ahhhhh, I'm so sorry for that huge delay on this chapoter, guys. I swear that I didn't lose interest for a second, it was just that I wanted to take it as easy as possible over the christmas holidays, and when school started again, it nearly knocked me backwards. Musical rehearsals have been a real time hog lately, and will continue to be until the second week in march, so I can't say how often I'll be able to update till then. But I promise you, I'm very much planning to finish this story. I love the movie and Victor/Emily pairing just as much as I did when I started this thing, plus having the movie in my own hands nowis helping too XD.

So yeah, shorty chapter here. sorry > ;;;;

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

_Though We Walk Through the Valley_

Chapter 11 - "Wanting"

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Victor's trembling began to cease, and his breathing evened.

What had Barkis been playing at?

Nothing of what he said made any sense, even if all he was trying to do was upset Victor. And… he had said that he had _loved_ Emily, butt hat wasn't true at all. He had to have just been saying things… still though, Victor couldn't help but brood over it. There was just something about what he had said that really bothered him. He wondered how Emily could possibly live (or so to speak) knowing that her murderer was in the same place she was.

"Despicable," Victor whispered to himself. Or so he thought, anyway. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Emily's voice answered from right beside him with a, "yes."

For that moment, Barkis completely disappeared form Victor's mind. He looked down at the ground, not daring to look at the woman next to him. He felt foolish, his behavior reminding himself of a lovesick schoolboy, blushing and stumbling around the girl he liked. He wanted to say something, but was almost frightened of what she might say or do in reply, considering the incidents from earlier on. But then, to his great relief, she spoke first.

"He really did tell me that he loved me," she stated emptily. Without even thinking, Victor turned to look at her. Her expression, like her tone of voice, was empty, and her gaze remained fixated upon the spot Barkis had been last seen. Victor didn't reply, but stayed quiet. He figured she didn't want him to answer anyway.

However, she spoke again. "And I…" she looked down to the cobblestone road. "I really believed him."

Emily's voice trembled as she said this. Her eyes were now shut tight as if they were causing her some sort of pain, and her hands were clenched into fists. Victor looked on at her, finding it nearly impossible to do so. His heart began to ache for the girl beside him. He longed to say something of comfort to her, anything could stop the pain that he knew was plaguing her. Though all he could do was hopelessly stare at her.

For the umpteenth time that day, Victor felt frustrated and angry with himself. He felt so utterly useless and pathetic for not being able to think of anything to do for Emily, the one whom he loved so much. And he felt so ignorant for never noticing her pain before. She had been so full of life, more so than anyone from the world he had grown up in, so there was no way she could possibly be going through any sort of pain, right?

Victor nearly chuckled.

It had never occurred to him that she was just like everybody else… she felt pain, and heartache, and betrayal, and…

A sob echoing through the silence cut Victor from his thoughts. He snapped his gaze back upward toward Emily, and when he saw small tears sliding down her face, he did the thing he had been fighting off since he had arrived there – pulling her to him and locking his arms around her.

"I'm sorry Emily."

He swallowed hard, beginning to feel soba rise up in his own throat. Not knowing exactly why, he apologized a second time, then a third. Again and again, Lord only knew how many times the same words escaped his mouth. He couldn't even remember when the tears began to flow freely from his own eyes, dampening Emily's hair. And it was only when he vaguely felt arms encircle his middle did his mouth stop moving. He wasn't entirely sure I there was even any sound emitting from them anymore.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Victor held onto Emily even tighter, as though she would disappear if he dared let go of her. A rather loud sob escaped him as he placed a hand on the back of Emily's head, taking in as much of her as he possibly could. And in that moment he became unaware of everything around them. Hundreds of people could have suddenly appeared out of thin air, and he never would have noticed. The only thing he could fully comprehend was the soft shushing sounds that Emily was whispering into his ear. He thought he heard words as well, he couldn't fully understand them. Though after a few long moments, he finally heard her say, "You have nothing to apologize for, Victor."

He had a small feeling that she had repeated those same words several times before he had understood it, but he knew that even if she poke them one thousand times, it would never convince him that it was true. He had so much to apologize for, though he felt he didn't even deserve the chance to speak them aloud, or be forgiven for them.

A feeling of agony washed over Victor at that moment. Another sob sounded from him, bringing forth more comforting sounds form Emily. It was odd how he had first embraced her to comfort her, yet now she was the one doing the comforting.

Unexpectedly though, Emily's hands went up to Victor's shoulders, and gently placed more space between them. Immediately, Victor began to miss the warmth of her presence being so close in contact with his. He felt foolish once more, knowing how pathetic he must've looked standing there sniffling, with tear stains tracing the way down his cheeks. He looked down to the ground, away from Emily's eyes.

"Victor," she spoke rather quietly. He didn't respond though, at a loss of what to do, or even say. He knew for a fact that he must've seemed quite childish.

Emily repeated his name, but with much more sternness this time. It was enough to finally get Victor to look up. If he had learned anything useful from living with his mother, it was never to be the cause of a woman's anger. And if you were, you were best off keeping your distance for a while.

An expression of worry met victor's gaze as he looked up into Emily's face. Worry, sadness, and the tiniest hint of determination. For a moment, nothing was said, and the two of them just looked on at each other.

But after a few moments, Emily finally stated, "I want to know, Victor." She lowered her hands to take a hold of his, causing his heart to leap ever so slightly. She continued on.

"I want to know why you're here. For I know that it's troubling you. I know that your pain just now was just your pity for me."

Victor's heartbeat sped up at her request. It wasn't as if he didn't know it would come to this, but… he didn't know he would be so unprepared for it.

"Oh, Emily..." he whispered despairingly. He tightened his fingers around her own, and bit down on his bottom lip nervously. He took a deep breath, and before he became frightened enough to stop himself, the story began to flow from his mouth.


	12. not a dream

A/N: hey, I actually got a chapter up this weekend! wah, go me! I feel so accomplished with myself XD. But then, we didn't have many rehearsals this week, so that didn't drain me into not wanting to write anything. But this coming week will be busy, so I'm still not sure when I'll update next. (no, this isn't the last chapter) Well, that and the fact I have no clue where this story is going after this chapter. -dies- yes, kill me now, really. I have a few ideas, but I'm not entirely sure on anything yet.

Oh! And thanks once again again for the lovelrly reviews!

Discalimer: see chapter one.

_Though We Walk Through the Valley_

Chapter 12 - "Not a Dream"

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Nervousness broke out inside of Victor like he had never felt before. Not even when he had told Victoria how he felt about her. But then again, the first time he had ever even spoken to a woman near his age was when he met her. So for this, he didn't have much experience to prepare himself, and he wasn't even entirely sure how to go about telling Emily the truth.

So he figured he would start with the beginning.

"Emily, after that night at the chapel, I… things just started to seem so… gray. I don't know if that makes any sense…" He allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. Emily just nodded.

Victor glanced downward for a moment before continuing.

"After knowing what it was like to have no worry at all, or propriety, or money, or if you're getting along with the right people… after I knew such a place like this existed, once it was gone, everything around me just became so lifeless.

"In the beginning, Victoria and I were happy." At these words, Emily visibly flinched. Victor wanted to say something, but for some reason, decided against it. So he continued.

"But as time went one, every day became longer, almost to the point where I was getting through each day minute by minute. And as time went on… Victoria and I spent less time together, we eventually even stopped speaking to one another…"

Victor hung his head just then as he realized the error in his words.

"No," he whispered. "I was the one who did those things. I was the one who stopped speaking to her, stopped nearly all contact between us. As memories of the night at the chapel, memories of you, and this place kept coming more and more often, the more I avoided those concerned eyes of hers. I would leave the house for hours at a time, walking around town as many as twenty times, as long as it would keep me away from that house that we shared."

Emily frowned. She never would have guessed that he had been just as miserable as she had. She let him go that night to make his happier… what in the world happened?

Victor looked back up to her.

"Constantly, Emily. Constantly, I would have dreams that took me back to that night. Every time I would see a butterfly, I yearned to reach out and touch it, think it would somehow turn back the time to that day I spent here with you. It would be like this all of the time, and as the days passed by, the more I could barely stand t be in that house. Not out of hatred of dislike, but out of guilt and shame."

Emily felt close to crying again. All this time, the only thing that had kept her going was the thoughts of Victor's happiness. The thought of him living out a wonderful life was the only thing that kept her from lying in bed all day, staring up at a blank ceiling. And yet… the entire time, he had been doing just as horribly as she had.

"Victor, I –,"

Victor's finger on her lips hushed her.

He shook his head at her, a desperate look in his eyes. "I want to get this out before I become frightened enough not too," he told her quietly.

She hesitated for a moment, but when Victor removed his finger, she made a tiny movement with her head that he took to be a nod.

He took another deep breath. "Emily… I made a horrible mistake that night, and it was beginning to realize that that I became ashamed of myself. It was because of that that I avoided Victoria, that I spent many a sleepless night absolutely hating myself…" Victor paused for a moment, and looked so intently into her eyes that it almost frightened her.

"It was because I realized my mistake that I came down here. To find you and tell you."

Emily would've held her breathe if it was possible. She looked on at him, urging him to continue, though not daring to think of what he might be trying to say.

"You let me go so I could marry the one that I truly loved, Emily. And I… that's not what I did."

A long paused, and then, "I love you, Emily."

She gasped, and her wide eyes immediately began to well over with tears, causing her vision to blur. She felt numb all over, completely unable to move, strangely reminding her of the dream she had. All she could for what felt like forever was gape hopelessly at the man before her. Thinking was even out of her reach.

After she still hadn't said anything, Victor began to feel uneasy once again. He had been so frightened while he had been talking, he could hardly pay attention to anything. Though from somewhere inside of him, a large weight had just been lifted, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. He was scared now that Emily might be upset at what he confessed to her, but in the least bit, he was glad that he had told her.

Emily continued to stare, though some of her senses were starting to come back to her.

This was the true reason he had come back? The reason for his behavior in the bar, and just how different he had been acting around her. It was because he…

She couldn't even let the word pass through her mind. It was so… bizarre, she knew she wanted this. She had wanted to hear those three words come from Victor's mouth far more than she had ever wanted anything. The longing from deep within her had kept her awake and plagued her for weeks. And even now, she couldn't help but wonder…

"How do I know this isn't a dream, Victor?" she asked so quietly, she almost wondered if any sound had even left her.

She had to ask because she had to be sure. Through those weeks after leaving Victor, she scarcely went to sleep. Not because of grief or stress, or even nightmares. No… she didn't sleep purely out of fear for those "happily-ever-after" dreams that managed to make their way into her mind. And they were far more painful than the nightmares, because at least she could wake up from those and breathe a sigh of relief that they weren't real. But when you wake up from a dream come true, it's like having all you've ever wanted taken away from you. Forever reminded that it could never be yours.

For a long moment, Victor just looked at her. He hadn't anticipated this question, so he didn't think of a good answer for it. Though he was very well asking himself the same thing. But then he realized something.

"It's not a dream," he whispered.

She was quiet for a moment before answering, "How do you know?"

He smiled, and then daringly took a step closer to her.

"Because in my dreams, things never went this far."

And with that, Victor placed a single finger underneath her chin and gently tilted her head upward toward his. Then hesitantly, and with that shyness that still existed within him, he slowly closed the gap between them. And with his heart pounding painfully in his chest, he lightly brushed his lips over Emily's, just barely making contact, so as to make sure it was all right with her.

When she didn't pull away as she had at the pub, Victor couldn't remember a time when he had felt happier.

Only second later, Emily suddenly returned the kiss with so much enthusiasm, it almost knocked him over backwards. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought herself so close to him, Victor felt himself begin to blush, whilst smiling into the kiss for her movement startling him so much. He moved one hand across her mid back, and the other to the back of her head, where Victor took it upon himself to deepen this kiss.

For a moment, he nearly laughed at how different he acted about these types of things, compared to how he used to be. Back when he was that shy young man spending nearly all of his time in his room, never even had properly looked upon a young woman. He never thought of attraction, nor did he ever guess he'd find himself in the middle of it. Sure, it had crossed his mind when he had been told he was going to marry, but back then he had desperately tried not to think about it. But then came the day when he met Emily… and now he would never go back to the way things were before.

At some point, the two of them had broken apart, for Victor was now looking into Emily's large eyes, rather than the starry patterns of red and purple of the inside of his eyelids. Her eyes were brimming with tears for the umpteenth time that night, but she still had a lovely smile upon her features. Victor suddenly realized that it was identical to the expression she wore on the night they were almost married, as she had poured him the wine that would have killed him.

A tear eventually fell from her eye, and Victor raised a hand to wipe it away, though even once it was gone, he didn't pull his hand back. He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, and all the while, the two of them felt so at ease.

Emily's eyes fluttered shut at one point as she leaned into Victor's touch. Letting out the smallest of sighs, she knew she was in a dream.

The only dream she would never have to wake up from…

… Her dream come true.


	13. more than perfect

A/N: I am soooo sorry for the long wait, you guys. No excuses here. All I can say is that inspiration has been a hard thing to find lately. And now to top it off, this is a short chapter -- I actually would've made it longer, but with what happens in this chapter, I figured it best fitting to cut it off where I did. I really hopr you guys enjoy this chappie -

Anyway, just so you know, I have NO intention whatsoever of dropping this story. I do not lie. No matter how long it takes me to get a chapter out in the future (though I pray to the higher power that it doesn't take anywhere near this long again), it's not because I've lost interest. You guys have been ar too good to me with reviews and appreciation of this story, and I'm not going to let that go. You all are amazing, and I love each and every one of you! )

Oh, and no, this isn't the last chapter.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

_"Though We Walk Through the Valley"_

Chapter 13 - "More Than Perfect"

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Happiness… _true _happiness seemed like such a fleeting thing. As though you could at one time grasp it in your hand, but if you weren't careful, you could lose it forever. Almost like a butterfly.

Emily had always thought that way. Well… not always. Only since Barkis had betrayed her. She believed she had been truly happy, and would feel that way for the rest of her life. But it was gone as quickly as it had come. She _thought_ she had felt it.

But now, it was so entirely different. Now she _knew_ that what she felt inside when she was with Victor was the utmost happiness that anyone could feel. She couldn't even compare to how happy Barkis had made her, or how happy she was when she thought Victor had proposed to her in the woods. For now… she knew Victor felt the same way for her now. She could see it in his eyes every time their gazes met. She heard it in his voice when she spoke to her, felt it in his touch and kiss, and more than anything else, she could sense it all the way down to her very core every single time he said those three words to her. And she would never get tired of hearing him say those words.

It had been two days. Two days filled with more love than most people could wish for in years. The two of them spent all of their time together, hardly letting each other out of their sight. As they walked down the cobblestone roads, others waved happily to them, some even verbally congratulated them on their happiness. News had gotten around quite quickly about their relationship, and they all were happy for them.

Victor had left behind every negative emotion that ever plagued him. It now seemed so pointless to feel bad about anything when you were this happy, when everyone around you was this happy. No one ever had a frown on their face, and even if you didn't know someone, you would say hello and ask them how they were. And with Emily happily by his side, he wondered if there was a word that went beyond the definition of 'perfect'. Though once in a while Victor still felt nervous, because he knew there was still one more thing he had to talk to Emily about before he could truly be content.

That afternoon, the two of them were sitting in what was now their 'spot' – the bench atop the balcony that overlooked the entire city. Emily had her head set against Victor's chest and was idly playing with the sleeve of his jacket. He had his cheek rested on the top of her head and was watching her hands. He decided to bring up the subject.

"Emily?" he said quietly.

"Mm?" was her response.

For a little while, he didn't say anything. He thought for a moment, but was also kind of spaced out from being so comfortable. He blinked, trying to knock himself out of it. "You know… I was thinking," he stated finally.

She shifted to let him know she had heard. "What about?" she asked. She also felt a bit drowsy from being in the position for nearly an hour. She found it hard to stay alert to everything around her when she was in one of her cuddle positions with Victor.

He shifted his gaze a bit. "Maybe…" he started, but trailed off, not knowing exactly how he was going to word it. "I was thinking maybe we should take a big step with this," he finished.

Her fingered ceased their movement. "What do you mean?" she inquired. He had gotten her attention.

"I mean…" Victor was sure how to say it without actually saying it. So as gently as he could, he pulled away from Emily and stood up from the bench. Immediately he missed the warmth. She looked up at him, confused.

And then he went down on one knee.

A hand shot up to Emily's mouth, stifling a gasp. He took her other hand in both of his and smiled at her, nothing but love shining from his eyes. He glanced down at her hand for a moment, the back to her. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she allowed her hand to come back into her lap. She smiled at him.

"Emily, I love you more than anything," he began. "And I forever will. And I… I wish for _nothing _more… than to live out the rest of this life, and the next…" He paused to lean forward and kiss her lips. He brought a hand up to touch her cheek, and he pulled away to look her in the eyes.

"… With you. Will you allow me your hand in marriage, Emily?"

For what felt like the longest amount of time in her life, Emily could do nothing. She never knew that so much happiness could numb you over. She choked back a sob as she looked on at the man before her, on one knee. It was far more than she could have ever hoped for. The one she truly, and with all her being loved more than the world itself was in front of her, asking if he could spend the rest of his life with her. And in their situation, offering his very life for that.

"Oh, Victor," she managed. And she responded to his question in the only way she could at that moment. She threw herself at him, knocking him clear to the ground with her arms locked around his neck.


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